Base scraping apparatus



Aug. 28, 1956 2. w. MlKLds 2,760,409

BASE SCRAPING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 29, 1952 T-i.l ix 1% 22 I6 O so 23 7a 26 9 47 qb v 37 I I H 43 4/ If 3 5/ 4 I I QB 36 p 5 37 b 39 byMCT HisAttorney United States Patent 6 BASE SCRAPING APPARATUS Zoltan W.Miklos, University Heights, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company,a corporation of New York Application February 29, 1952, Serial No.274,126

3 Claims. (Cl. 9024) My invention relates to apparatus for basingelectric lamps, discharge devices and the like, and more particularly toapparatus for removing the excess solder used in connecting leads to themetal shells of bases.

An object of my invention is to provide apparatus for scraping oh theexcess solder projecting beyond the periphery of the metal shell of thebase of an electrical device so that said device canbe readily insertedand removed from a socket. The apparatus is especially concerned withthe removal of solder from the metal shell of a base which must beeither pushed or screwed into a relatively closely fitting barrel orsleeve and wherein any excess solder projecting from said base mayprevent it from entering into the socket or being easily removedtherefrom should the base be forced into the socket. One type ofincandescent lamp made defective by a very small amount of projectingsolder is a very small lamp. used in conjunction with airplaneinstruments, which lamp is inserted bulb-foremost into a socket andwhich has. no appreciable protruding portion enabling it to be securelygrasped and pulled from the socket.

Another object of my invention is to provide base. scraping apparatussuited to automatic operation. in. high speed basing apparatus, and toaclamping device for retaining the lamp in position inthe holding means,there.- for during the scraping operation. To this end, means are;provided; for advancing a knife, preferably conforming to the shape of.the shell of the base, to a position inclose proximity or directly: intocontact with the base shell, as desired, when a lamp is presented at aWork static-n occupied by said scraping apparatus and for'moving the.knife along the-base to effect the scraping thereof The baseclamping-device in association with the scraping; mechanism is comprisedof: non-reversible means movable against the end of the base to locateit longitudinally in the basing apparatus: and: prevent itfi'om beingforced therefrom by the scraping mechanism during its interval of.operation.

Still other objects. and advantages of my invention will appear fromthe: following detailed description of a species thereof and from theaccompanying drawing.

In the; drawing, Fig; 1- is. a. perspective view of base scraping andclamping apparatus: comprising my invention at the time of itsarrangement at operative relation to a lamp retained by basing apparatusand with a portion brokentherefrom. to; show enclosed actuating means;and- Fig. 2 is. a perspective view. on alarger scale of said lamp and:the end ofthe scraping knife of said apparatus at; the time the saidknife; is. advancing toengagement therewith.

The scraping. and clamping apparatus; shown in the: drawing is.locatedat one. work station along; the path of movement of the lamp. carrier ofautomatic. basing apparatus and completes acycle. of operation each timea lamp 1 is positioned at said work station by one. of: a succession ofindexing motions of said carrier.. Thelamp; 1- is held in aninverted.(base up) position on a vertical axis by a head 2 at the periphery ofthe turret 3 com- 'ice prising the carrier and is located below aportion of the clamping apparatus 4 overhanging the. course of movementthereof and opposite the scraping apparatus. 5 located radially outwardfrom said turret 3' and said path. Relatively no lateral displacement ofthe lamp 1 can occur when the cycle of operation of the apparatus isinitiated as the bulb 6 thereof is almost completely contained in apocket in the holder 7 of. the head 2 and asthe base 8 thereof isalmostcompletely surrounded by the fixed jaws 9 and 10 of said head 2.Vertical movement of the lamp 1, on the other hand, is possible at thismoment since neither the base 8. or the bulb. 6 are gripped and thelatter is, so small as to allow it to pass upward between the jaws. 9and 10 should an upward movement of the lampl. beinitiated.

The first operation of the apparatus provides for the clamping of thebase 8 of the lamp 1 in the head 2 by the apparatus 4 and efiects thisclamping operation by lowering the end of. the stud 11 into engagementwith the contact 12 at the center of the insulation button 13 at the endof the base 8. The stud 11 is, in eflEect, a

part of and has the same movement as arm 14 intowhich it is screwed. andwhich is located within an open longitudinal channel in: the body 15 ofthe clamping apparatus; and said. stud 11 is carried down against thebase 8 by a rocking or pivotal movement of said arm 14. about the pivotpin 16 bridging said channel. The pressure of engagementof the stud 11against the base 8 is sufficient to force said base 8 down into the head2" to the extent that the flange 17 at the upper end' of the metalbaseshell 18' seats firmly against the top surface of the jaws 9 and 10of the head 2- and has the efiect of correcting any tilting of said base8 which might interfere with; the proper scrapinglof the shell 18.

The stud- 11 and. the.- arm 14 are normally retained at a raisedposition above the base 8 by the contraction force of a helical spring.19- located Within adjoining cavities in said arm114- and the body 15 ofthe apparatus and connected between pins in saidarm 14 and said body 15.The downward movement of the stud 11 and the arm 14- results when theslide20, in contiguous slideways: of the. body 15 behind the. coverplate 21, is moved toward said arm 14 and by SO'dOlHgj advances thewedge shaped end 22-: thereof as far as possible into the space abovethe shoe 23 pivoted ona pin 24 extending across the bifurcated end. ofsaid arm 14. The force with which the. Wedge end 22 ofthe: slide 20. isintroduced and, accordingly, the pressurev with which stud 1-1- presses:against the base 8, isdetermined by the resilience of the two springs2525- connecting; ear-s at the endof the slide 20 to the opposite endsof the cross pin 26 of the operating. means of the apparatus; Thestrength of these springs 2525 is such: that the cross pin 26 is held:tightly against the right end (.Fig. 1') of the cross slot. 27 for mostof themotion of the operating arm 28 which extends down into a centralopening in the slide 20; however, the springs 25 allow the cross pin26,v which is held by the operating arm 28-, to advance in the. crossslot. 27 when the operating force is excessive. Corresponding andsomewhat longer clearance slots (not shown) in the opposed sidewalls ofthe body 15 of theapparatus avoid any interference with thefullzrnovement'.

of the crosspin26.

The time interval of, operationiofthe apparatusiedetermined byoperating.- means. (not shown): actuated. by: the

basing machine in the. manner of. other apparatusin-comoinationtherewith and like said other apparatus is causedto occur at acorrespondinginterval. after a. lamp 1- has been advanced to the Workstation before. the. present. apparatus. The. operating means effects.vertical actuation of the, rod 30 connected to the arm- 31 on theopposite end of the shaft 32 from the operating. arm 23, and,

causes said arm 28 to turn with said shaft 32 which is supported by theupstanding support lug 33 of the body 15 of the apparatus. Thiscompletes the operations of the clamping apparatus prior to the scrapingof the base, and the operation is reversed after said scraping hasoccurred. Throughout the period of operation, the body 15 of theapparatus remains at a fixed position determined by its attachment tothe overhanging arm 34, only partially shown, of the frame of the basingmachine.

The next operation to occur is that of the scraping apparatus, whichapparatus advances the end of a knife 35 to engagement with the directlyopposing portion of the metal outer shell 18 of the base 8. The knife 35is attached to a slide 36 within ways behind the retaining plates 3737in the body 38 of the scraping apparatus and is advanced toward the base3 by a rocking or pivoting motion of a lever 39 pivoted at 4% to thebody 38 and moving the slide 38 by means of pin 41. This advancingoperation of the knife 35 is under the control of the main operatingapparatus of the basing machine which presently effects an upwardmovement in the connecting rod 42, which motion is terminated when theend of the adjustable stop screw 43 on the lever 39 bears against theend of the body 38. A spring 44 connected between posts on the lever 39and a portion of the body 38 serves to absorb the freedom of movement inthe operation means so as to give more accurate control thereof.

The knife 35 engages an exposed portion of the base shell 18 inalignment with the space between the tips of the jaws 9 and 10 of thehead 2 and at the elevation of the lower end of said base shell 18inasmuch as the vertical column 45, which is the supporting means forthe body 38, is then at a corresponding position. This position of theknife 35 places the sharp edge 46 thereof, formed by the upper and thecurved end surfaces thereof, at a position below the solder 47 filling atriangular indenture in the base shell 18 and holding one of the leads48 of the lamp 1, and permits said edge 46, which has a shape conformingto the curvature of the base shell 18, to scrape the excess protrudingportion of the solder 47 from the base 8 by an upward movement thereof.The solder 47, in combination with the base shown, is the means ofattaching the end of the lead 48, extending through a slit 4-9 in thebase shell 18 at the edge of the indenture, to said base shell 18.Because of the small size of the parts, it is difiicult to prevent thesolder from protruding beyond said base shell 18.

The upward scraping movement of the knife 35 is initiated by acorresponding movement of the body 38 under the control of the operatingapparatus (not shown) of the basing machine engaging and sliding thesupport column 45 upward in the frame portion 54), and lifts the entirescraping apparatus sufliciently for the knife to pass over the entirevertical extent of the solder filling 47.

The connecting rod 42 also follows the upward movement I of the body 38so that the knife 35 does not pull back from the base shell 18. Theupward force applied to the base 3 is relatively great during thescraping movement of the knife 35; however, no movement can occur insaid base 8 as the angularity of the matching faces of the shoe 23 andwedge 22 is such that the upward pressure of arm 14 and shoe 23 can notforce the wedge 22 and slide 28 back from its position thereabove. Thecycle of operation of the apparatus is completed upon retraction of theknife 35 from the base 8 and lowering of the body 38.

After the clamping and scraping apparatus 4 and 5 have separated fromthe lamp 1, the lamp can be pushed from the head 2 of the basing machineby an upward movement of the push rod 51 which extends through avertical hole in the holder 7 below the bulb 6. Means are also providedin combination with the clamping apparatus for preventing the studholding arm 1 and the wedge portion 22 of the slide 20 from advancingbeyond a limit of operation in event of the absence of a lamp 1 from thehead 2, said means being in the pin 52 extending across the bottomopening in the body 15 and blocking movement of the stud holding arm 14.

While I have described a preferred form of apparatus comprising myinvention, 1 do not wish to be limited to the exact structure shown asit will be understood that many modifications of the precise manner inwhich my invention is carried into effect may be used without departingfrom the scope of the appended claims. In this connection it should benoted that the scraping apparatus could be used separately from theclamping apparatus as for instance, where the base is gripped by thebasing machine, see Pagan Patent 1,724,831. lt shouldalso be noted thatthe scraping apparatus can be adjusted so that the knife 35 does notbear against the base shell 13 and can therefore be used to trim asolder mass located wholly outside the periphery of said base shell 18.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. Apparatus for removing excess solder projecting from the flangedcylindrical shell of a base of an electric device comprising holdingmeans encompassing the cylindrical shell with the exception of thesolder and the adjacent shell portion for aligning the base with anaxis, means for clamping the base in position in the holding meanscomprising an arm pivoted to one side of the axis and movable generallytherealong into engagement with the end of the base and wedge means formoving the arm to seat the shell flange firmly against the holdingmeans, said wedge means being non-reversible by pressure exerted by thebase in the scraping operation, a knife located to one side of the axis,means for moving the knife toward the base holding means and into closeproximity to said adjacent portion of the base shell at a positiondisplaced axially on the opposite side of the solder from the clampingmeans and the shell flange, and means for moving the knife axially alongthe base shell toward said clamping means and said shell flange toscrape the excess solder therefrom.

2. Apparatus for removing excess solder projecting from the flangedcylindrical shell of a base of an elec tric device comprising holdingmeans encompassing the cylindrical shell with the exception of thesolder and the adjacent shell portion for aligning the base with anaxis, means for clamping the base in position in the holding meanscomprising an arm pivoted to one side of the axis and movable generallytherealong into engagement with the end of the base, and wedge means formoving the arm to cause the pressure of engagement thereof to seat theshell flange firmly against the holding means, said wedge means beingnon-reversible by pressure exerted by the base in the scraping thereof,a knife having a concave cutting edge conforming with the periphery ofthe base shell and located to one side of the said axis, means foradvancing the knife toward the base holding means and into engagementwith the base shell at a position displaced axially on the opposite sideof the solder from the clamping means and the shell flange, and meansfor moving the knife axially along the base shell toward said clampingmeans and the shell flange to scrape the excess solder therefrom.

3. In combination with a carrier having thereon holders with pockets foraccommodating electric lamps and indexing them to successive positionsin a fixed path of travel, a clamping mechanism comprising a bodyportion mounted over said path of travel at one of said positions of theholders and having a downwardly opening horizontal channel in the bottomthereof, an arm mounted longitudinally in said channel for pivotalmovement in a vertical plane about one of its ends and having a studportion extending downwardly from an intermediate portion thereof to belocated over a lamp in a holder, spring means connected to said arm tourge it upwardly about its pivot, a shoe member mounted on the end ofsaid arm opposite its pivoted end for pivotal movement in a verticalplane, a slide member mounted in said channel for longitudinal movementtherein and in apposition to said arm, said slide member having awedge-shaped forward end fitting between said shoe member and the upperwall of said channel, and actuating means connected through spring meansto said slide to pull the slide forwardly to cause its wedge-shaped endto urge the said shoe downwardly and thereby pivot the arm downwardly tocause its said stud portion to engage the lamp and clamp it in saidholder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS BehanJune 3, 1913 Smith Mar. 25,1919 Holmes June 21, 1921 Sora Feb. 2, 1926Palucki Feb. 2, 1937 Oppenheim Dec. 17, 1940 King July 16, 1946 FOREIGNPATENTS Australia Oct. 18, 1938

